Keanu Reeves may have starred in some of the greatest action movies ever made with the likes of Point Break, Speed, The Matrix and John Wick, but the actor has never shied away from trying to add new strings to his bow, even if the results haven’t always been as consistent.
After rising to prominence in 1986 drama River’s Edge, Reeves broke out in a huge way in cult classic comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and in the decades since the 55 year-old has tackled everything from gothic horror and romantic comedies to playing a serial killer and doing Shakespeare.
One of the more underrated entries in his filmography though saw him try his hand at headlining a legal drama, albeit one with a massive twist. The Devil’s Advocate was a minor success at the box office when it was first released in 1997, and saw Reeves playing a hotshot lawyer who joins a major firm, only to discover that something supernatural is afoot.
As well as featuring Charlize Theron in one of her first major Hollywood roles, The Devil’s Advocate is fondly remembered for Al Pacino’s performance as the Devil himself, with the legendary actor dialing his established screen persona up to eleven and devouring every piece of scenery in sight as the plot becomes increasingly over the top and preposterous.
Although the movie is rarely mentioned in the same breath as other Keanu Reeves classics, The Devil’s Advocate is set to arrive on Netflix next week (July 1st), and given the star’s recent career renaissance that’s seen his popularity rocket to an all-time high, there’s no doubt going to be a lot of fans eager to either check it out for the first time or revisit the very underrated modern spin on Paradise Lost, Dante’s Inferno and Faust.
